The month of May can be an extremely busy time of year.Many of us are a bit preoccupied with Communions, Confirmations, graduations, weddings, trying to get our children home from college, and, of course, Mother's Day!Given that it can be a very hectic time of year, I wanted to remind everyone to go out and vote on Tuesday, May 16th!For the first time in three years, the residents of the North Shore School District have a choice to make when voting for Board of Education Trustees.Three people are running for two Trustee positions.Since the candidates have backgrounds in education, I thought it would be appropriate to look at the ABC's of this election!

A is for Admiration, Appreciation, and Aspiration!Rich Galati (aka "Mr. Galati" to generations of North Shore High School students) gets an A+ in all three of these categories!!!How can anyone not admire and appreciate a man that has helped thousands of North Shore residents aspire to be the best students they can be?It would be impossible for anyone to rationally deny that Mr. Galati would instantly become one of the most intelligent Trustees to ever serve on the North Shore School District Board of Education.Mr. Galati literally wrote the "book" for North Shore's IB/AP Physics course!!!He has inspired countless North Shore students to pursue careers in science related fields.Mr. Galati is truly someone all students, parents, and residents can look up to and respect.Cheryl Brown has also earned extremely high grades in these areas.Teaching first grade for over 20 years is something that should be admired and appreciated by everyone!

B is for Bravery!Cheryl Brown and Rich Galati both deserve A's in this category!!!Running for the Board of Education is no small endeavor.It takes an amazing amount of bravery to run as independent candidates against an incumbent.The residents of North Shore deserve Trustees who will have the courage to question School District policy and decisions.As someone who has attended a majority of School Board meetings over the past 5+ years, I firmly believe that Ms. Brown and Mr. Galati are the only two candidates who will challenge the administration to reach new heights regarding the educational opportunities offered to the children of North Shore.They will represent ALL residents of the North Shore School District in a manner that is, sadly, not often seen in Nassau County incumbent electoral candidates.I believe Ms. Brown and Mr. Galati will act fairly, impartially, intelligently, and with the utmost integrity!

C is for Candor, Compassion, and Creativity!Again, Ms. Brown and Mr. Galati receive an A in these qualities!When my wife and I moved to Glen Head 14 years ago, the Browns were among the first people we met.I can, without question, say that Cheryl is a candid, honest, sincere, and compassionate person who will be a great addition to the North Shore Board of Education.As a dedicated and talented elementary school teacher with three amazing children, it should go without saying that Ms. Brown possesses the creativity necessary to be successful as a Trustee.Mr. Galati's candor, honesty, compassion, intelligence, and creativity are, quite frankly, extraordinary!The "Mr. Galati" stories I have heard recently from his students and their parents have been nothing short of heartwarming!The things he has and continues to do for his students are awe inspiring.Rich is truly beloved by the entire community.While I regret that my children will not have the opportunity to be in Mr. Galati's classroom, I take solace knowing that he will be able to help the entire community as a School District Trustee.

Well, there you have it!The ABC's of the upcoming North Shore School District Board of Education Trustee election.I highly endorse and respectfully request that you support Mr. Rich Galati and Ms. Cheryl Brown on Tuesday, May 16th.As North Shore welcomes a new Superintendent, it is the perfect opportunity for our community to elect people with fresh views, opinions, and perspectives - NEW VOICES FOR A NEW ERA!I believe they will be amazing Trustees who will work with community members and district officials in the open, respectful, and responsible manner which the residents of North Shore deserve!Thank you very much for taking the time to read this!